Well, in retrospect, this post was a harbinger of things to come.
First, an update. The city is still reeling from the Beryl. There are still well over a million homes and businesses without power. School campuses are closed. Mass transit is not yet back. Downed trees EVERYWHERE. Even my office is still without power, the entire six story building and all the places around it. We're hoping to have power (possibly today as this posts) soon or maybe tomorrow. Who knows.
It's miserable for so many because we are having heat indexes well into the triple digits. The city is opening cooling centers all over town.
"J" from 2nd Family said the power came back Monday night at 9pm. About 12 hours without power at the farm. Not too bad, considering many in Houston may wait days more for power to return.
I went to the farm over the weekend to get ready before the storm arrived...
Thankfully, I was able to mow. With heavy rain in the forecast, that was my goal. I accomplished that.
Literally 1 minute difference from the last regular mow. Right on average.
I put the mower up in the shed and put everything that wasn't tied down in there as well. Just to keep the flying objects to a minimum.
When I l left at 2pm, it was a feels like of 115.
I've never had this message before. My phone was in the little compartment thing on the mower and when I took it out to check my status, it had this message. I didn't even know they would do this. As 2nd Man said, that's a sign for you to take a break too. Yes sir.
This is the sky to the Southeast when I was leaving. Clouds were coming.
And when I got to the end of the road, it was this.
I stopped at the gas station on the way home to fill up (as they always say to do when a hurricane is coming) and this is what it looked like.
At home in the safety of the apartment, this was the radar for the farm (the pin is the house). Yep, I mowed just in time! Of course, just a few hours later, the bottom dropped out as an actual Category 1 (gusts to Category 2) hurricane came in.
"J" said the farm seems OK, she said we might have lost some shingles but with the house going soon, not worried about that. More the trees and stuff around the property we are worried about. We'll make a better survey this weekend. No rain in the forecast now for a while and we're fine with that.
Considering the storm was a Cat 5 and 4 for so long when it formed, as bad as it was here after it diminished, we dodged a disaster of epic proportions. Houston will recover, we always bounce back stronger.
One thing you guys should consider with the new house is a propane powered standby generator large enough to handle the whole house. Keeps the freezers and fridges going, and if you get a big enough one, the AC or heat. We have a 13KW Generac and it comes on automatically when the juice goes off. Makes power outages a thing of the past, at least for us. You can also do this with solar and batteries, but it probably more expensive. If you do go solar, you have room for a ground mounted array. I think this is better than having them on the roof, easier to work on and keep the panels clean. Also, the less you are walking around on a roof, the longer it lasts.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are O.K. Miserable for everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat KennedyD said……we have a 22w Generac, didn’t need it the first 3 years we had it, but last few years has been a lifesaver. 10 hours this time. Deb
ReplyDeleteWhen you build your house, that will be the perfect time to get what you need in way of generator! My friend has one that uses three fuels. The first picture of the sky is scarily beautiful.
ReplyDeleteglad you are all safe! we did not get one drop of rain but we sure have the winds from beryl! we need rain! joyce
ReplyDeleteNice to read all is ok with you
ReplyDeleteGlad y’all are safe and that the structures at the Farm came through the hurricane with minimal damage. Where did you have Bill the Farm Truck? Hoping you don’t have lots of tree damage.
ReplyDeleteThe last several days since Beryl have been pretty miserable here. No power, stifling heat, and having to clean up all the downed tree limbs and whole trees. But at least we didn’t lose our homes or lives like the people on the Caribbean islands when they faced a much more powerful Beryl.
Glad to hear that you both, along with 2nd family stayed safe and nothing serious / major happened. No serious damage hopefully.
ReplyDeleteMy heart and prayers to all those who are still dealing with situations in the city.
You both have lots to think about; weather wise when it comes time moving to the country.
We received only about 1/2 of rain here from Beryl.
Enjoy your evening. Stay safe and stay cool.
Blessings to everyone.